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DEVICE EOE ALTEEING SPEED 0E GYGLES.' No. 525,030. Patented Aug. 28, 1894.

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Wifi/465585. gnu/Kwek $%%/wfzf UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

RAPl-IAELSCHWERS AND CARL FUCHS, OF DANTZIQ, GERMANY.

A DEVICE FOR ALTEFtING SPEED OF CYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of `Letters linatent No. 525,030, dated August 28, 1894.

Application tiled January 24, 1594.

1To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that we, RAPHAEL SoHwnRs, Government architect-,and CARL FUCHS, premier lieutenant, both subjects of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, and residents of Dantzic, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Altering the Speed of Cycles, of which the following is an exact specification.

This invention relates to cycles in which chains are used for transferring the rotations of the crank-axleto the shaft of the drivingwheel or wheels, and in which the crank-axle as well as the shaft of the drivingfwheel or wheels are each provided with two chain- Wheels of different diameter, which are connected by chains in such a manner, that the smaller chain-Wheel of the crank-axle is connected with the larger wheel of the driving- Wheel-shaft, and vice-versa; and our improvements in such {transferring-devices relate to a combination of parts, by means of which the chains may be changed in a quick and convenient manner by thewheelman, even while the latter is racing with full speed as will bemore fully described hereinafter.

In order to make our invention more clear,

we referto the accompanying drawings, in

which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different views, and in which- Figure 1 shows the nave with its accessories of the driving-wheel of a so-called safetybicycle, half of the nave being in section. Fig. 2 shows a side-view, also partly in section, and Fig. 3 shows a side-view of the whole hicycle provided With our improvement.

The nave a of the driving-wheel b has two lcentral projections d co2 at its two sides, upon which projections the cogged coupling-wheels o c are loosely arranged. Coupling-wheel c is made in one piece with a chain-wheel d, and coupling-wheel o is made in onev piece with a chain-wheel d', the latter being of greater diameter than chain-wheel d. Both Serial No. 497,942. (No model.)

part with Ia hole, through which takes an arm f made in one piece with a double-armed leverff2 fulcrumed at g in a projection of the nave. Arm f is connected by a hinge h with rods c', which may be displaced within short tube k pivotally secured to sleeve Z. Against `the said tube bear spiral-springs m, the other end of which lies against thehinge h. These springs constantly tend to keep lever f f 2 in one or the other of its two end-positions, and prevent itfrom staying in a middle-position, so that bolt e must be in secure connection with one or the other of the coupling-wheels o c. The nave rotates, as a matterof course, together with wheel b, and with the nave rotates also lever ff f2. y

Two angular double-armed levers 'n n are secured to the hind-fork o of wheel b by means of sleeves p p', and are connected with a double-armed lever q held by the framepart a" by rods s s'. Lever q may be turned from the seat of the cycle by means of a connectingrod t, and the position of the two levers n n may be changed from that shown in the right-hand part ot' Fig. l to that shown in the lefthand part of the same figure.` The arms n' of the levers n, fn. are considerably broad, as to beseen in Fig. 2, and the rear part of these broad lever-arms is adapted to act as hinderance to the arms'of the lever f f2, so that, if, for instance, the nave is coupled with the coupling-wheel c', and the arm f', therefore, is in its raised position, this armmaybe lowered and arm f2 maybe raised, i. efleverf f2 may be turned, by `bringing the lefthand lever n n into' the way of thel lever f f which latter moves in a circle, as has been already explained. If, thus, the driving-wheel b, which now (Fig. 1) is driven from chain-wheel d, shall be driven from chain-wheel d', lever q is turned by meansof rod t into the position shownin Fig. 1, so that IOO the lefthand lever-arm n is brought into the Way of the lever-armj. This latter will thus, strike against the curved edge (Fig. 2) of that arm n', and lever f f2 will be turned then is displaced on account ot the movement of' armf, and its left-hand end is drawn out of the coupling-wheel c,`while the right-hand end of bolt e is pushed into coupling-wheel c', so that wheel b is driven now from chain- Wheel d.

Having thus fully described the nature of this invention, what We desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In a cycle with two changeable chainwheels of different diameter adapted to be coupled alternately with the driving wheel or -wheels, the combination with said chainwheels each being rigidly connected with a Couplingwheel, of a displaceable couplingbolt situated in the nave of the driving-Wheel or -axle, said nave carrying a three-armed lever, the middle arm being adapted to displace the coupling-bolt, the other arms being adapted to be turned by movable projections held by the frame of the cycle, for the purpose as-described.

2. In a cycle with two changeable chainwheels of different diameter adapted to be coupled alternately with the driving wheel or -wl1eels, the combination with said chain- Wheels each being rigidly connected with a coupling-wheel, of a displaceable couplingbolt sltuated in the nave of the driving-Wheel or aXle, said nave carrying a three-armed lever, the middle arm being adapted to displace the coupling-bolt, the other arms being adapted to be turned by movable projections held by the frame of the cycle, said middlearm of the three-armed lever vhaving hinged to 1t a rod adapted to slide in a movable sleeve, said rod being surrounded by a sprin g tending to overcome the dead point of the joint, for the purpose as described.

3. In a cycle with two changeable chain- Wheels of different diameter adapted to be coupled alternately with the driving-wheel or -wheels, the combination with said chainwheels each being rigidly connected with a coupling-wheel, of a displaceable couplingbolt situated in the nave of the driving-wheel or -axle, saidna've carrying a three-armed lever, the middle arm being adapted to displace the coupling bolt, the other arms being adapted to be turned by 'movable projections held by the frame of the cycle, said projections forming part of double-armed levers adapted to be turned from another doublearmed lever by connecting-rods, the latter lever being connected with a hand-lever situated in the proximity of the seat or saddle of the cycle, for the purpose as described.

4. In a cycle with two changeable chainwheels pf different diameter, adapted to be coupled alternately with the driving-Wheel or Wheels, the combination with said chainwheels (d d), each being rigidly connected Vwith a coupling-wheel (c c) of a displaceable coupling-bolt (e), situated in the nave (d) of the driving-wheel or -aXle, said nave carrying a three-armed lever (fffZ), the middle-arm (f) being adapted to be turned by movable projections (nf) held by the frame (o) said projections (n) forming part of double-armed levers (n n) adapted to be turnedfrom another double-armed lever (q) by connecting rods (s s), the latter lever (q) being connected With a hand-lever situated in the proximity of the seat or saddle ot the cycle, the middlearm (f) of the three-armed lever (ff'f2) having hinged to it a rod (i) adapted to slide in a movable sleeve (7c), said rod being surrounded by a spring (m) tending to overcome the dead point of the joint (7L), for the purpose as described.

In testimonywhereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

i RAPHAEL SCHVVEERS.

CARL FUCHS. Witnesses:

C. KEINKoWsKI, P. HNERFRST. 

